


In the Same Boat

by UberDuper



Series: Remember This Clearly [2]
Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Developing Friendships, Lost Love, Other, Past Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-18
Updated: 2018-02-26
Packaged: 2019-03-20 23:47:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13728576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UberDuper/pseuds/UberDuper
Summary: It’s hard to have a heart-to-heart with somebody who hates your guts on principle, that much is fact. But hey, Rantaro does his best. After all, the two of them are in the same boat here.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> okay so uh, this is my attempt at pulling off two simultaneous stories. this story is running semi-concurrently to 'Gentle Men and Selfless Women'. ive got some ideas, so lets see how this'll turn out.

As Rantaro Amami drove down the street, away from the mansion from which he had picked up his 'new wife', as his father informed of him, he wondered just how the hell he had gotten himself stuck in a situation like this. Just the concept of it, an arranged marriage for economic benefit in the current day and age, was a bit boggling to him. Granted, it wasn't like the young woman was bad looking, far from it, but Rantaro wasn't interested in a relationship with the heir to Harukawa Industries. Plus from the way she refused to look at him ever since they'd left the mansion, he doubted she liked him any either. Still, this was his punishment for fucking up, and if he had to endure it to make things right, he'd endure it to make things right.

The car bumped over rocks and potholes, jostling his passenger. She'd been quiet ever since they'd left the house. Now, Rantaro was no fool. He'd spent enough time in the past with his sisters to know when they were trying to hide that they were upset about something, and sometimes Rantaro liked to think that he could extrapolate that knowledge to other people. Granted, he would have needed to be blind to not see that there was something wrong, but still. Rantaro just liked to think of his sisters. After a quick glance to make sure the road was clear and straight, Rantaro turned to the woman in his passenger seat, a smile on his face. Best break the ice sooner rather than later.

She had on sky blue blazer, complimented by a crisp white collared shirt underneath, a black tie, and a pleated brown skirt. Her eyes, crimson as a ruby, were firmly locked on the passing scenery. Her hair was long and brown, falling over shoulders. Rantaro frowned. He remembered brushing hair like that, long ago. It tended to get tangled, but he had learned how to get the knots out without hurting his sister. His smile returned.

“Hey there,” He said, “I know this is our first time meeting, but... well, I hope we can get along.”

“Shut up.” She told him.

“Ah...” Rantaro felt his smile waver a bit. Ah, bad start. Still, he did his best to keep his chin up. He returned his eyes to the road, though. The ride was quiet for a little longer, while Rantaro thought of what he could say. He knew it wasn't in his best interest to remain quiet here. “Uh... I don't want to seem... imposing, but...” How to phrase this?... Before he could think of something good, the young woman interrupted him.

“What part of 'shut up' don't you understand?”

“Hey now,” Rantaro tried to say, keeping his voice level and nonthreatening. “I was just-”

“Do you think I care about you?” She asked, cutting him off.

“Hah.” Rantaro actually laughed at that. It was a quiet laugh, one that just barely caused his shoulders to bounce in amusement. “That's a bit harsh, don't you think?”

“You know why I'm here, so you should know I'm not being harsh enough.” She said. “You don't care what I want.”

“Maybe so.” Rantaro said, and the edge of his mouth turned up in amusement when he saw her start out of the corner of his eye. Heh. “But you know that's because I have no idea what you want. If you're just going to push me away, I can't really understand you, can I?”

“...” The young woman was quiet for a moment, and Rantaro really felt like maybe he was making some sense to her. And then she said: “I should beat your head in for saying that.”

“Eesh.” Rantaro replied.

“Quit talking to me.” The young woman said. “I know you're supposed to be 'my husband' now, or whatever bullshit you've been told, but I don't want to be here. I doubt you even care about that though.” For the first time since she got into the car, the young woman turned to him. A sneer painted her face, and Rantaro could feel it melting away his skin. It felt like her eyes were stabbing him. Harsh. “You just...  _look_  the type.”

“What, the fun type?” Rantaro joked, glancing down at himself. He had worn something nice, yet casual for the occasion. Didn't want to come across as overly formal when he clearly wasn't. He had on a brown vest over top his white collared shirt, a black and red striped tie, and some tan slacks. Still, he liked to stand out too, and the piercings lining the shell of his ear, the rings on his hands, and the necklaces dangling in front of his tie were proof of that. It was a fun look, right?

“The sleazy type.” She clarified. “You're the sketchiest person I've ever seen. You realize piercings on rich dudes don't mean anything but trouble. Plus, you've got the face of a wannabe casanova and a creepy voice to match.”

“Ooh, that smarts.” Rantaro replied, his smile now forced. His fashion was something he was proud of, but that wasn't the only reason he was ticked. 'Wannabe casanova', really? “But listen to me for a sec, if you will.” Once again making sure the road was safe, Rantaro turned to the young woman. And his smile dropped, leaving a haunting stare for her to take in. It was nothing of all the posturing expressions he'd made for the brief time they'd known each other. This was a pure shot of true Rantaro. The young woman almost flinched. “We're in the same boat here. You think I want to be here, suddenly tied down to somebody like you? I've got my own problems, problems I could be working to solve if you weren't shackling me down right now. I'm sure something like that can get through your evidently thick skull. After all, it's probably the same for you. It is, isn't it?” And then he had turned back to the road, a smile once again on his face like he hadn't even spoken.

“You...” She said. Seemed like that was all she could say at the moment.

“I said that I wanted to get along, and that was no lie.” Rantaro glanced up at the rear view mirror. The backseat was full of bags that the young woman had brought along. “Things'll be much easier if we do. I don't wanna be your problem, y'know? I'm more than just a pretty rich kid. Who knows, maybe we can even help each other out.” She was quiet, and seemed to process that information. Rantaro smiled. “Hey, we can start by setting some boundaries, if you like.”  _That_  seemed to make some sense to her.

“...no kissing, no touching.” She began suddenly. Now they were getting somewhere.

“Done and done.” Rantaro nodded. “I assume you mean that in a romantic sense. What about keeping appearances up?”

“Pecks are fine, but not on the lips unless there's no other option.” She continued. “If we have to, you can hold my hand, but none of that 'arm around my waist' shit. And I'll let you talk, but I don't have to respond.”

“Sounds good.” Rantaro replied with a chuckle. “Don't worry, I've got all sorts of things to talk about.”

“One more thing.” She tacked on. “You... no maids.”

“No maids?” Rantaro actually frowned at that. “Hmm... that might be a little tough. We've got a couple at the manor already...”

“They're fine.” She immediately responded. “Just... no new ones.”

“No new maids.” Rantaro repeated, nodding. Still, that was interesting. Rantaro might have his head in the clouds sometimes, but he was no fool. He knew that woman that was there at the mansion with them was a maid. There were a lot of reasons that Rantaro could think of for a verdict like this, but it was  _far_  too early to make any assumptions. Besides, they were making good ground. No need to ruin things this early. He'd have all the time in the world to figure it out.

After that, the young woman seemed done talking. That was fine, Rantaro could respect a little bit of silence. It was only after he took a wrong turn onto an unfamiliar street did he realize something important.

“You know, Harukawa, I never got the rest of your name.” Rantaro said. “It wouldn't be proper of me to address my 'wife' by her last name, especially when it's soon to be mine.”

“...” She refused to look at him. He laughed.

“Alright then, I'll go first. Rantaro Amami. You might know me from-”

“Dogen-Sama, the famous company that owns a lot of general stores and hotels that cater to those with... more intimate and short lived interests. Your stocks went up by thirty three percent last quarter, and you personally have invested in a lot of travel companies, which has begun a bit of a branch from the typical Dogen-Sama group that has been unofficially named 'Dogen Travels'. The public sees you as a laid-back pretty boy with an eye for fashion, which brings out a lot of female admirers.”

“My, you're well read.” Rantaro laughed. “Probably shouldn't have expected any less from the heir to Harukawa Industries.” He adjusted his grip on the steering wheel and glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. “I've done  _my_  research too. Maki Harukawa, daughter of the famous Azuma Harukawa. Not much is known about you, aside from the fact that you're Azuma's daughter.” He watched Maki bristle when her name was brought up, her posture tightening further when he mentioned her father. Bullseye. “Azuma Harukawa has made multiple public statements about his daughter, claiming that he has been privately tutoring her, and that she will follow in his footsteps and become the next head of Harukawa Industries. Though you're rarely seen outside of the occasional meeting or dinner party, they say that while the young Harukawa is bristly and hard to talk to, she's got an incredible eye for detail and a business sense rivaling her father.”

“...creep.” Maki snorted and turned away again. “Why the hell would you ask for my name if you already knew it?”

“Hah.” Rantaro let out another laugh. “You noticed. Well... I just wanted to spark some friendlier conversation, give you a chance for an introduction on your terms. We're on the same side here, remember?”

“Are we?” Maki snapped. “Because all I'm seeing is you taking me away.”

“Trust me,” Rantaro had a smile on his face, though his tone grew cold. “if I could, I'd drop you off, right back at your mansion and leave you to deal with whatever sorrow and misery you have back there. I've got so much more I could be doing, and now that you're here, everything just became so much harder.”

“Are you trying to scare me?” She said, voice low. Rantaro glanced over, and her gaze was volcanic.

“Of course not.” He replied. “I'm just letting you know that you're not the only spoiled rich kid with problems nobody else understands.”

“Oh please.” Maki scoffed.

“C'mon, throw me a bone.” Rantaro said. “After all, based upon what we know about each other, I could say the same about you.”

“You have no right to say that about me.” Her glare grew hotter, and Rantaro could practically feel her hatred burning his skin. Gosh, she was a fiery one.

“Like I've been saying, same here. We know nothing about each other.” Rantaro decided that this conversation was going nowhere. Now, if his analysis was right, to end this conversation, he could say something like... this: “But hey, let's talk about something else. Our problems can wait until another day. Let's talk about... hmm...” He pretended to think. “Oh! What was the deal with that maid back at your mansion?”

The car was quiet as the question digested. Rantaro leaned over and turned on the A/C. It was getting hot in here. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Maki ball up a fist. Then, there was a loud thump, and her fist was pounding into the car door. She then turned to Rantaro, and her eyes were on fire. Rantaro noticed a small crack in the plastic under the window.

“If you ever bring her up again, I will beat you within an inch of your life. Don't fucking talk to me ever again.” Maki's threat lingered in the air, and Rantaro didn't doubt for a second that she would follow through. So he laughed.

“Alright.”

* * *

 

“Welcome home.” Rantaro said, sweeping a hand out as they rumbled up the driveway to the Amami Manor. It was hard to see, but Rantaro spotted Maki glance out of the corner of her eyes, taking in the manor for a moment before scoffing.

“Welcome to hell.” She said back. Rantaro laughed.

“You're telling me.” That seemed to surprise her a bit, and Rantaro smiled. “You look surprised. There's a reason that I'm investing into travel agencies.” Maki actually turned to him, a frown on her face. He reached back to rub the back of his head. “Whoops. Let's keep that little secret between you and me.” Her brow knit together, but she didn't say anything else, simply turning back out the window. The car kept going, and eventually, Rantaro pulled up to the front of the manor.

There on the front porch stood a few figures. An older man, two young women, a young man, and a child. Rantaro cracked a smile as the car came to a stop, then started to lean over. Maki turned towards him, a look of disgust on her face, but he stopped before he reached her cheek and whispered.

“The old fart is my father. Try not to interact with him without me there. You'll regret it.” He then pulled away and pat Maki on the shoulder, which her eyes immediately flicked down to. When she looked back at Rantaro, he winked, then opened the door and slid out.

“Rantaro!” A deep voice shouted from the porch. The young man and one of the young women started coming down as Rantaro circled around to help Maki out of the car. He waved at the porch, then popped the passenger door open and held a hand out to Maki. She stared at it for second. Rantaro cleared his throat, and when she looked up at him, he motioned at the figures on the porch with his head, a split second movement.

“Remember the situation.” He whispered, flexing his fingers to draw attention back to his hand. Maki glared, then placed her hand on his and let him help her out of the car. As soon as she was out, the man and woman approached. The man was dressed in a crisp suit, smooth and grey. The woman had on a black dress, lined with white lace. They stood at a similar height, though the woman was slightly taller. They had black hair and brown eyes, though the woman's hair was tied up while the man's was cut short. They both bowed slightly as they approached.

“Mistress Harukawa.” They said in unison. Rantaro felt Maki's grip tighten painfully on his hand, and he glanced over at her. Her jaw was set firmly, and she stared forward intensely. And then it was gone, and she let go of his hand. The two then turned to Rantaro. “Master Rantaro.”

“Yo.” Rantaro greeted them back. “Ey uh... at ease, guys.” The two servants nodded and smiled, their postures seeming to relax a bit.

“It's a pleasure to meet you, Mistress Harukawa.” The butler stated, nodding respectfully at Maki. “I'm Yuuta Higashi. I am one of master Rantaro's retainers, and I am now at your service as well.”

“Likewise,” The maid said. “I'm Akari Higashi, at your service.”

“...” Maki looked between them, and Rantaro felt himself smirking. “Are you two?...”

“Twins.” The Higashi twins answered, nodding in unison.

“They're awful nice.” Rantaro threw in. “Been serving since I was a kid, aha.” The twins smiled, and Rantaro motioned at the backseat and the trunk. “Could you two do me a favor and retrieve Maki's bags from the car? I wanna get our... meeting with Father done sooner rather than later.” The twins frowned at his words, and they nodded gravely.

“Of course, Master Rantaro.” They then quickly went to the back of the car. Rantaro watched them for a moment before nodding.

“Let's go then.” Rantaro held his hand out to Maki. The two made eye contact, and Rantaro shrugged lightly at her. After a moment of nothing, Maki took his hand, and the two made their way up to the porch. Rantaro forced a larger smile, and he could see Maki faking one of her own as well.

“There you are, boy!” The older man said, reaching forward to slap Rantaro on the shoulder. His eyes flicked over to Maki, and his eyes lit up. Again, Rantaro could feel Maki's white knuckled grip on his hand. “Glad to see you followed my orders for once! I'm also glad to see that she's beautiful.” Before Rantaro could stop him, the man reached forward, grabbing Maki's free hand. He brought it up to his lips and kissed her knuckles, and Rantaro was genuinely afraid Maki was going to break his fingers with how hard she was clenching his hand.

“You know,” The older man said, releasing Maki's hand. “Your dad's looks do you no justice. He must have had quite the wife, ohoho.”

“Father,” Rantaro began, drawing his attention away. “'S not very nice to say about somebody you just met, isn't it?”

“Ah, can it.” Mister Amami said, shaking his head. “You're much too stuck up, Rantaro. You've inherited your old man's good looks and yet you do nothing with them.”

“I've got my own things to do.” Rantaro said, using his free hand to rub the back of his neck.

“Hmm...” Mister Amami pursed his lips, his eyes snapping over to Maki. He then chuckled to himself. “Yes, you do now.” Rantaro let out an irritated sigh that he passed off as the beginning of a laugh.

“You got me, Father. Haha.” Rantaro let go of Maki's hand, reaching over to grab her shoulder and pull her close. He felt her tense up. “Well, I shouldn't keep a woman waiting, and it wouldn't be proper to do anything while her bags are still unpacked.”

“Ah, of course of course.” He nodded, slapping Rantaro's shoulder again. Rantaro simply smiled back. Mister Amami turned to the woman next to him. “Come then, Sayuri. We've got some... important business to attend to, yes?”

“Oh, of course Mister Amami...” The woman giggled, letting him wrap an arm around her waist before the two headed back into the manor.

The moment they were gone, Rantaro let out a sigh of relief, running a hand through his hair. And then his bicep was on fire. His other hand instinctively shot up to it, and he let out a surprised 'ow!'. Maki was standing next to him, her fist clenched.

“What happened to our boundaries?”

“Okay, look...” Rantaro put his hands on his hips. “To be fair, that was an arm around your shoulder. Plus, better me touching you on the shoulder than  _him_  touching you anywhere else, alright?” He looked up at her, his expression hard. She stared back. “I'm sure you gathered, but my Father's... a bit of a 'womanizer', to put it lightly. I get the feeling that you wouldn't be overly appreciative of that, so I took some measures to get him to leave.”

Maki stared silently at him. He could see her jaw clenched, her arms ramrod straight at her sides. She looked  _pissed,_ but Rantaro was willing to endure a little bit of anger to not let his Father have his way. Before either of the two could do anything else, however, a light laugh sounded through the air, and Rantaro found himself catching something that had just catapulted itself into his arms.

“Big bro! I missed you!” The thing said.

“Hey there sport.” Rantaro grinned, lifting the little boy up under the arms. “How's my little squirt, huh? How much trouble have you gotten into while I've been gone?”

“None, I swear it!” The little boy laughed, flailing his legs. “I never get into trouble while you're gone!”

“Yeah, I'll bet.” Rantaro put the kid down, then turned to Maki. “Maki, this is my little brother. Say hi, Hayato.”

“Hello!” Hayato said, saluting Maki. She frowned, looking between Hayato and Rantaro for a few seconds. Rantaro motioned at her to say something, but before she could, Hayato laughed again and jumped back onto Rantaro.

“Woah, hey there.” Rantaro reached around, plucking Hayato off of his back and placing him on his shoulders. “There.”

“Hey Maki,” Hayato said from his new perch. “You're real pretty.”

“...uh.” Maki looked like she'd been caught off guard. “Thanks?”

“Ooh, she sounds pretty too. I like her.” Hayato planted his arms on Rantaro's head, leaning forward. “Rantaro, you're so lucky. I hope I know a pretty girl like Maki one day too.”

“Master Hayato.” Suddenly, Yuuta was there, reaching up to pluck Hayato from Rantaro's shoulders and place him back onto the ground. “Remember your etiquette.”

“Aw, but it's just Rantaro and his uh...” Hayato looked down, thinking. “What was it again? Um... what does daddy call them?... his 'Gals'?” Rantaro tensed up a bit, and Yuuta pressed his lips together.

“Master Hayato,” Yuuta repeated. “Your etiquette. What have we said about what Master Amami does?”

“Um... 'no'?”

“That's right, champ.” Rantaro leaned down, ruffling Hayato's hair. “Maki is, repeat after me, my wife.” Rantaro felt Maki's scalding stare on him, but didn't look up at her.

“Wife.” Hayato said, nodding.

“Great work.” Rantaro kissed the top of his head, prompting a happy 'eeeew!' from Hayato. “Now go with Yuuta and grab a snack from the kitchen. Something sweet. Tell 'em Rantaro sent you.” Hayato's eyes lit up.

“Oh boy! Thanks Rantaro! Yuuta, c'mon, c'mon!” Hayato grabbed Yuuta's hand and began pulling.

“Are you sure you'll be fine, Master Rantaro?” Yuuta asked.

“Don't worry, just gotta unpack.” He smiled. “Akari can help out with that, if that's fine.”

“Of course.” Yuuta bowed, and then he was gone, escorted by Hayato into the house. Rantaro put his hands on his hips again and shook his head.

“...Okay look.” He turned to Maki, who was staring silently at him. Jeez, she was really good at making him feel like he'd just been tossed into a volcano. “I'm sorry. But you gotta cut him some slack. He's just a kid. I'm trying to help him out, but I'm not exactly here all the time.”

“This place is a mess.” Maki said simply.

“...That's uh... one way to put it.” Rantaro replied, shrugging.

“Just show me to my room.”

“About that...” Rantaro began. Maki instantly connected the dots, and she took a step towards him. Rantaro put up his hands in front of him, already asking for mercy. “It would arouse too much suspicion.” He took a step back, and she pursued. “Don't worry, don't worry. There's a couch in the room,” Maki's eyes angrily flared up, and Rantaro sped up his talking. “That  _I'm_  going to be sleeping on while we're here. You can have my bed.”

“...” Maki growled, reaching up and grabbing Rantaro's collar. “You are  _really_  pushing your luck.”

“Better me than anybody else.” Rantaro said simply. Maki let out a snort and released him from her grip. Rantaro let out a sigh of relief.

“You'd better not try something.” Maki said. Rantaro felt his eye twitch.

“Don't insult me.” He said back.

“Whatever.” Maki spat, stomping off the porch towards the car. “Just help me move my shit in.”

“...” Rantaro shook his head. Jeez. This wasn't going to end well.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ffffffffiller i need to figure out how to pace myself

“Carry the one, add seven... take into account the supply, consider change in stock prices...” Rantaro murmured to himself as he laid on the couch that had been his bed for the past month and a half. Pencil in one hand, ledger on the other, he narrowed his eyes at the sloppily scrawled out figures for a few moments. “No, that can't be right...” He crossed off some of his previous work and sighed. Running numbers was far from Rantaro's forte, but if it kept his father off of his back, then he'd run numbers all god damn day.

On the other side of the room lay Maki, reading some sort of book while resting on what used to be his bed. Rantaro glanced over at her. It was hard to see from the couch's slightly lower elevation, but he could piece things together from what he could see. She was sprawled out on her back, hair fanned out over the pillows. Her eyes diligently went side to side, quickly taking in the words on the pages. On the nightstand there was a now cold cup of tea, still untouched from when Akari had placed it down earlier.

Suddenly, her gaze flicked downwards, and the two locked eyes. Maki's face contorted into a vicious scowl. “What are you looking at?” She snapped.

“I was just seein' what you were up to.” Rantaro replied. It was almost funny how little she had warmed up to him. You'd think that sharing a room with somebody for a month and a half would cause them to open up to you. Not so much with Maki. In fact, much to Rantaro's amusement, she seemed to have closed herself off further. “Is it a crime to want to see what my fiance is up to?” He joked.

“Do you _want_ me to hurt you?” Maki asked. Just like always, she spoke with a grave seriousness that let Rantaro know that she _would_ , given the opportunity. Rantaro hoped she was just messing around though. Getting hurt wasn't really something he was looking forward to, and would force him to adjust his itinerary, which was something you never wanted to do right before a trip.

“I suppose not.” Rantaro said, returning to his ledger. A bunch of figures stared back at him, and sort of started to blend together. As his pencil went to the paper, Rantaro's mind wandered.

Since he had picked up Maki, the two of them hadn't spent much time outside of the house. His father had _insisted_ the two spend as much 'personal time' together as they could before the marriage became official in a few months. By that, Rantaro knew what his father _wanted_ him to be doing, because his father viewed marriage as something completely different from Rantaro. Still, the more Rantaro got completed now, the less on his case his father could get when he finally got out of here again.

And what a place it would be! Rantaro adopted a grin. It would be a familiar locale, sure, but this time he would be visiting as Rantaro Amami, proprietor of Dogen Travels, not as Rantaro Amami, casual tourist and son of the CEO of Dogen-Sama. Still, he also had his own motivations to visit, those unrelated to business. Oh well.

There was a pattering of feet, and the bedroom door cracked open, revealing Yuuta looking in. “Master Rantaro,” he began, “your father is summoning you. It's about the details of your upcoming trip.”

“Right.” Rantaro nodded. He looked down at his ledger and erased something, then turned to his fiance and smiled. “Be right back.” She simply rolled her eyes and refused to look at him. Oh well.

Yuuta walked next to Rantaro on the way to his father's study. Rantaro would be lying if he claimed that seeing a woman draped over his father's arm while serious business talk was happening wouldn't be annoying. Not that Rantaro was necessarily opposed to older men hanging out with younger women (though that was a whole 'nother beast), but he had problems with his father.

As Rantaro was lost in thought, Yuuta's voice returned his mind to the present. “Master Rantaro,” he said, looking over at Rantaro without turning his head.

“What's up?”

“You received a call earlier.”

“Oh?” Rantaro cocked a brow. Usually, people who needed him called his secondary cell phone, which was the number he normally gave out. So somebody calling the house for him was interesting. Somebody who he hadn't given a number to.

“Yes, somebody from a... detective agency? I am unsure of the details, as the caller would not divulge any information to anybody that wasn't you.” Yuuta shook his head.

“I see. That's some good confidentiality.” Rantaro cracked a smile. “Well, if you could give me the number, I'll be sure to see what's up.”

“Mmhmm...” Yuuta hummed, then glanced at Rantaro again. “I know it's not my place to say this, but you really need to be more careful with your planning. I can't always be there to fix any haphazard mistakes, and it was difficult enough for me to intercept the call from your father. I had to remind him that he had no idea where you were actually going.”

“Aw, it was _you_ that blew my cover?” Rantaro joked, nudging Yuuta with his elbow. “Shoot, and here I thought I could trust you.”

“I speak seriously, Master Rantaro.” Yuuta said. “You know how your father feels about your 'out-of-country' endeavors. Should he figure out the real reason for your travels, you'd be in a place that's just barely a step above house arrest.”

“Yeah, yeah, don't need to tell me twice.” Rantaro sighed, planting his hands on his hips. Stupid punishment. He was already in hot water. What a pain in the neck. “Thanks for the assist, though. Jeez, what a pain, huh?”

“Indeed.” Yuuta said, motioning at a door as they approached. It was familiar, a smooth, lacquered mahogany door. The door to Mr. Amami's study. Before heading in, Rantaro glanced down at his ledger. This should be proof enough that he intended to take this trip seriously. Or, rather, that he would pretend to take this trip seriously in order to further his own personal agenda. Through the door, Rantaro could hear a muffled giggle. Great.

Shooting Yuuta a curt wave, Rantaro grabbed the door knob, pushing and turning. The door swung inwards, and Rantaro glanced around at the unfortunately familiar room. A classic study, the room was full of bookshelves, lined with books he doubted his father ever even opened. There was a globe, some filing cabinets, and the large desk at which his father sat. Honestly, every time Rantaro came in here, it seemed more and more like a caricature of an office than an actual office.

“Hey Father,” Rantaro greeted. “You wanted to see me?”

“Mmm... yes.” Rantaro's father nodded, leaning back a little further in his chair. The lady of the week, draped over his arm, giggled as the chair moved, causing him to turn and playfully poke her on the tip of the nose. Rantaro's smile grew slightly more strained, and he glanced away for a second. “But before any of the boring stuff... how are things going between you and Maki?”

“Oh, things are great.” Rantaro said, shrugging. “You sure know how to pick 'em.”

“You don't seem very enthused, son.” He said, shaking his head. “Rantaro, I need to have a heart to heart with you.”

“Alright, shoot.” Rantaro said, his eyes momentarily flicking over to the woman in the room with them. He wouldn't exactly call this a situation that could be a 'heart-to-heart', but hey. While they were talking, his father was in the right here.

“Rantaro, you're a man now.” Rantaro's father said. Rantaro raised his brow. Oh... kay. “You have a fiance, a beautiful one at that, and you have a little business of your own in Dogen Travels. You have beautiful women, money, a solid future... everything a man could ask for. So why don't you act like one?”

“Why don't I?...” Rantaro started asking a question, but trailed off. Where exactly was this going?

“Why don't you act like a man?” His father repeated. “A man would look to the future, look to where he can better himself. A man acts strong, acts like he's in control, even for the brief moments where he isn't. But you...” His father sighed, rubbing at his temple with his free hand, “you don't. You're just so stuck in the past, and you don't seem to care for the opportunities I'm providing to you. I've even had to _punish_ you because of your antics, Rantaro. I don't want my son and successor to be... you know... so _not_ a man.”

“...I'm afraid I don't know what you're sayin', father.” Rantaro laughed, though it was hollow and humorless. He had to force it out. “I guess our definitions of 'a man' are different. Because I feel perfectly manly on my own.”

“...please don't get argumentative with me right now, Rantaro.” His father murmured, evidently annoyed.

“I'm just saying.” Rantaro threw in, shrugging. “You said I'm not acting like a man, and I'm saying I am. That's what a man does, right? Stubbornly insists he's right now matter what?”

“What did I just say about getting snappy?”

“Please don't.” Rantaro said.

“So then why are you?” His father asked.

 _'Because I'm not interested in this bullshit conversation'_. Rantaro shrugged. “I'm just a little annoyed right now, sorry.” He laughed, holding up the ledger. “The numbers for my trip weren't adding up quite right, and it took a bit for me to figure out where the discrepancy was. My fault for stepping out of line.”

“Indeed.” His father remarked, shaking his head. His eyes flicked towards Rantaro's ledger, and Rantaro had to conceal the smirk that threatened to grow on his face. The perfect distraction. “If you cannot even balance your numbers correctly, then perhaps this trip isn't for you. I can send somebody else.”

“It's just one mistake.” Rantaro remarked, shrugging. “If you'd like, you can read over the numbers. I know they're right, aside from the one thing I can't figure out.” He held the ledger out.

“...fine, let's see.” His father snatched the ledger from him, popping it open and pouring over the numbers written out there. Rantaro let himself smirk for a moment. If there was one thing he could count on to make his father stop thinking about anything, even beautiful women, for a few moments, it was potential profits.

His father let out a few quiet 'hmm's and 'I see's as he checked Rantaro's work, before finally holding his hand out expectantly. Rantaro placed his pencil into his hand and watched him take it to the page. There was some insistent scribbling and erasing, a few 'huh's, and then suddenly Rantaro was reoffered the ledger and the pencil.

“There. It should be right now.” His father said. “I suppose you were correct, it _was_ just one mistake. You forgot a few numbers on page thirty eight, and that was throwing off your calculations.”

“Thanks for the help.” Rantaro said, knowing exactly what his father had done to fix his 'miscalculations'. “Can I go get ready for my trip?”

“...” His father was quiet, and then let out an irritated puff of air through his nose. “Very well. You're leaving?...” He trailed off, motioning with his hand to indicate to Rantaro that he should jump in.

“In a week.” Rantaro said, pulling up his free hand to count a few things off. “I need to finish making housing preparations, things need to be packed, I need to arrange a few meetings...” Rantaro trailed off, thinking. He also needed to contact that detective agency, bring Maki up to speed, and hit up his contact, who would be joining up with them before they left.

“Right, of course. Go then,” He waved Rantaro away, dismissing him.

“Thanks, father.” Rantaro flashed him a thumbs up before slipping the ledger into his pocket and sliding out of the room. He could practically hear the eye roll his father was shooting at his back, but the joke was on him. He'd just let Rantaro go.

Outside of the study, Yuuta was waiting, retaining that posture he always had. Rantaro knew his own posture wasn't that bad, but it still amazed him how Yuuta and Akari, as well as all of the family's servants in general, could keep such a stiff posture all damn day. Yuuta glanced over to Rantaro when he emerged.

“I trust the meeting went well?” Yuuta asked.

“Heh, you know me.” Rantaro smirked playfully, putting his hands on his hips. “Nothing I couldn't handle.”

“Yes, well now we just have to prepare for the trip.” Yuuta said, “Let me see your phone.”

“Sure.” Rantaro unlocked his phone and placed it in Yuuta's hand, then cocked a brow. “What for?”

“...” Before speaking, Yuuta typed something out and handed it back. “There.” On the screen was the phone app, with a number typed in. “That's the detective agency's number. They told me that you should tell them your name and your 'privacy code' in order to converse with them.

“Ah, right. That needs to get done.” Rantaro thought for a moment before motioning for Yuuta to follow. “Might as well do that now. And hey, how about some tea while we do it?” He smiled at Yuuta's quiet 'of course', and the two began walking towards the kitchen. Rantaro hit the call button, and the phone began ringing. Once, twice, three times, four times...

“Saihara Detective Agency.” The person on the other end said, picking up after the fifth ring. “How may I help you?”

“Yeah, uh... you called me earlier, about a previous call I made.” Rantaro said.

“Okay, we'll need your name and your privacy code then, in order to know if it is actually you we are divulging the proper information to.”

“Right, of course.” Rantaro rolled his shoulders. “Name's Rantaro Amami, and my privacy code is...”

* * *

 

Tea was over, and his detective operations were smoothed out. Now onto the hard part. Rantaro cracked his neck as he looked over the door to his own room. He really shouldn't be nervous about entering his own room. After another moment of pause, Rantaro reached up and knocked on the door. “Are you decent?” He asked.

Silence settled over the hallway for a few seconds before an irritated voice within asked, “Why wouldn't I be?”

“Dunno, just making sure.” Rantaro replied, pushing the door open.

Maki was still on the bed where he'd left her, though it appeared that she'd gotten into something he hadn't exactly thought she'd be fucking around with. She was sitting, cross legged, in the middle of his bed, a photo album opened up in front of her. _His_ photo album. Rantaro frowned a bit, genuine discontent appearing on his face. He pressed his lips together, and Maki stared back at him.

“Where'd you get that?” He asked, knowing full well where.

“Behind your desk.” Maki said nonchalantly. “I dropped something, and I found it when I went to check under the desk.”

“Right.” Rantaro said, clenching his jaw for a second. “And... why'd you take it out?”

“I wanted to see what was in it.” She replied.

“Of course...” Rantaro sighed.

“Who are all these girls?” Maki asked, looking back down at the assortment of pictures. Rantaro frowned as she turned a page. There was a picture of him braiding a girl's hair, and then another with him and a different girl in a pair of aprons, flour on their faces and hands. Another showed him in the manor's back yard at night, a third girl on his shoulders. “They look kind of like you, and they're obviously younger... but you're still here and they aren't.” She looked back up at him, eyes sharp and so infuriatingly hard to read.

“My sisters.” Rantaro asked simply, crossing his arms.

“Married away, huh?” Maki spat, sounding disgusted.

“Nah, not them.” Rantaro let out a hollow laugh. “No, I'm the only one that happened to.” He could feel Maki's confusion from all the way over here. He sighed again, stuffing a hand into his pocket. With his free hand, Rantaro tossed the ledger onto his couch. “Hey, I've been respecting your boundaries. How about we respect mine for the moment and put the book away?”

“...” Maki looked back down at the photo album, then back up at Rantaro. Then she closed the album. Rantaro let out a sigh of relief, heading over to the bed. He reached for it, and after a moment, Maki handed him the album. “You're gonna tell me the deal behind this.” She demanded.

“Soon,” Rantaro told her. “I'll tell you once we've started heading out for the trip.”

“Wait, I'm coming with you?” Maki's lips pressed together in a fine line. “You made it sound like it was just you.

“Sorry if I did... but c'mon now.” Rantaro laughed. “You really think it would be pertinent for a famous guy who just got engaged to leave his fiance behind while he goes on a month long trip? Just think of the scandal.” He put his free hand on his hip and smirked. “Plus, you've been holed up in here since you got here. Don'cha think some fresh air would do you good?” She frowned, but Rantaro continued. “We could buy some souvenirs, grab some fruity drinks, have a picnic in a lush field, go on walks-”

Suddenly, Maki was standing up, her back turned to him without a sound. Rantaro stopped once the movement processed in his head. Wait, what? Her shoulders were raised slightly, and she seemed to be alert, almost on edge. Her posture was rigid as she moved, and didn't let up at all as he approached. Must have been by something he said, but the action was so sudden...

“Fine, whatever.” Maki said, voice as stiff as she looked. “Good thing I never unpacked all of my shit.”

“Y... yeah...” Rantaro nodded, moving to start putting some stuff of his own away. What a strange reaction... what had it been that he said? “Hey uh... are you?...”

“Boundaries.” Maki snapped, her voice dripping with venom. Rantaro took a step back and saw her shoulders lower ever so slightly.

“...Of course.” Rantaro put his hands up and shrugged, then cracked a joke. “Hey, you're gonna tell me the deal behind this, right?”

“In your dreams.” She spat, stooping down to pick something off of the floor.

“Right...” He rubbed the back of his head. “Hey uh... whatever I said... sorry.”

“...” Maki didn't reply, but seemed to loosen up a bit more. Rantaro figured that this was the most he was going to get out of her at the moment, and turned to start packing some of his own stuff. He'd figure out this strange girl one day...

 


End file.
